Boulder car rental information
| Pick-up location | Boulder |
|---|---|
| Car types | Compact, Compact SUV, Economy, Full-size, Intermediate, Intermediate SUV, Minivan, Pickup truck, Standard, Standard SUV |
| Rental locations | 11 |
| Airport locations | 0 |
| Popular agencies | Hertz, Turo, Budget |
Cheap car rentals in Boulder
| Economy | $30/day |
| Compact | $32/day |
| Intermediate | $35/day |
| Standard | $36/day |
| Full-size | $39/day |
| Minivan | $60/day |
| Pickup truck | $51/day |
| Intermediate SUV | $37/day |
| Compact SUV | $37/day |
| Standard SUV | $45/day |
Top tips for renting a car in Boulder
- The outskirts of Boulder have narrow mountain roads, so the law requires vehicles traveling downhill to yield to those traveling uphill. Never drink and drive cheap car rentals in Boulder, as it is illegal. The BAC of adults is 0.08%, 0.02% for drivers below 21 years, and 0.04% for commercial drivers. It is also illegal to wear earbuds or headphones while operating a vehicle. Keep smartphones aside while driving to avoid distractions that can jeopardize the safety of others on the road. If you need to make an urgent call or send urgent texts, pull aside on the road at an appropriate location and do so. Ensure all occupants in your vehicle have fastened safety belts before you take off.
- The drive from the Denver International Airport car rental center to Boulder takes about 45min and covers about 40 miles using the Colorado E470 N route. From the airport, join the New Castle Street Road onto Pena Boulevard. Turn onto Colorado E470 N and follow it to the Northwest Parkway and Denver Boulder Turnpike. Turn onto Colorado Avenue, follow it to Folsom Street, Arapahoe Avenue, and join onto 19th Street leading to Boulder. The Denver Boulder Turnpike route increases your travel duration to about 55min.
- Grab 4×4 Boulder car rentals and embark on scenic drives across any terrain. 4×4 rentals best handle the 55 miles of road winding through some of Colorado’s mountain terrain to the Peak to Peak Scenic Drive. The drive from Boulder to these national forest lands takes about 1h 30min. Moreover, you can take a 1h drive to the Rocky Mountain National Park via Highway 36. The Eldorado Canyon State Park is about 20min away by car via Highway 93. Highway 72 takes you to the picturesque Coal Creek Canyon from Highway 93. Head south on Highway 93 for about 40min to the Flatirons Vista Trailhead.
- Boulder truly is a city for cars and visitors are highly recommended to rent a vehicle during their time in the city. This is especially the case if you plan on taking in any of the natural scenery around Boulder, such as the Flatirons. The Flatirons are one Boulder’s most iconic sights and are just a 2-mile or 8-minute drive from the city center, but they are only accessible via personal vehicle.
- Chances are good that step one of your itinerary is to pick up your rental car upon arriving in Boulder. For travelers with flights landing at Denver International Airport, you can reach the rental car facilities via the airport’s rental shuttle, which picks passengers up from outside of Jeppesen Terminal on Level 5 at Island 4.
- One thing to keep in mind when visiting Boulder is that the mountains during winter are often full of snow. Visitors of the area should keep that in mind when planning itineraries, as a sudden snowfall can often lead the roads to get bogged down in the early morning before the snow plows have had a chance to clear them. In the case of snowy mountain roads, just make sure to drive carefully and be aware that it will take your car longer than normal to slow down.
- Rush hour traffic in Boulder, while not as severe as neighboring Denver, is still worth avoiding if possible. Congestion picks up during the morning rush hour from 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., then starts back up in the afternoon at around 4:00 p.m. and slows down again at about 7:00 p.m. I-25 is one of the major congestion culprits in Boulder and those who do not want to get caught up in traffic should avoid it during rush hour.
- 25% of our users found rental cars in Boulder for $37 or less
- Book your rental car in Boulder at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price
- Intermediate rental cars in Boulder are around 24% cheaper than other car types, on average
FAQs about renting a car in Boulder
Boulder car rental reviews and directory
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
8.0
Very good
43 reviewsBest rated
Cleanliness
8.3
Comfort
7.8
Pick-up/Drop-off
7.8
Value for money
7.6
3 locations in Boulder
from $35/day
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Reviews
10.0 Wonderful
Feb 2021
Pros:
Staff here are always conscientious about mask wearing, pick-up and drop-off are quick and easy with minimal interactions.8.8 Very good
Jul 2020
Pros:
Drop off was super easy and I got an even better car than I expected.Cons:
The all fees including the deposit should have been included in my reservation details. The location I was originally supposed to pick the car up from was closed and I only found a bit before I was supposed to pick the car up.6.0 Okay
Dec 2020
Pros:
Staff member Sarah was very nice.Cons:
The initial car had a broken windshield washer, and I was told there were no other cars available. After a call and a couple of trips back to the car rental place, they were able to find another car. It would have been unsafe to drive a car without a functioning windshield washer especially on snowy roads in Colorado.10.0 Wonderful
Jul 2019
Pros:
Great staff, great value for a one way rental.10.0 Wonderful
Mar 2019
Pros:
The staff was very friendly and helped to drop off my car super easy2.0 Poor
Jan 2019
Cons:
Called me 30 minutes before pick up to tell me they didn’t have my vehicle available.Hertz
6.5
Okay
43 reviewsMost popular
Cleanliness
6.6
Comfort
6.8
Pick-up/Drop-off
6.3
Value for money
6.7
One location in Boulder
from $35/day
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2.0 Poor
Dec 2022
10.0 Wonderful
Dec 2020
Pros:
Karen Edwards is outstanding! She’s worth more than whatever you’re paying her. She’s ready for much bigger responsibilities!Cons:
All was fine!10.0 Wonderful
Oct 2020
Pros:
Very friendly staff3.6 Poor
Oct 2020
Pros:
The staff was friendly just understaffed not enough help. Your employee had to attempt to clean cars, rent cars, fill cars with gas at another location. How can hertz justify one employee to do all those jobs and not be able to attend to customers in a timely manner. The car had just returned from Florida wasn’t cleaned to covid standards. There was dry dirt prints on the seats from a dog being in the vehicle. Wasn’t wiped down properly. If you have covid standards then they are not being met! This employee is doing the best he can with all these jobs and hats put on him. I don’t fault your employee I fault hertz corporate rent a car for the sub standards. I don’t know about the higher ups but when I spend $353.00 of my money to rent your car I expect a clean car the outside had bug kill in the hood and windshield. I am disappointed in this transaction and hope you take this into account how you handle your rental business in the future!Cons:
The car could have been cleaned inside and out that isn’t a far fetched expectation.8.0 Very good
Dec 2019
Cons:
Weird to just leave car at the airport with no official check in. But apart from that all v easy9.2 Wonderful
Aug 2019
Pros:
Staff was super friendly and helped me very fast. The car was clean and she went over everything with me before taking it which was great.Cons:
Price could have been better for such a small car.Avis
6.4
Okay
30 reviewsCleanliness
5.8
Comfort
6.6
Pick-up/Drop-off
6.6
Value for money
6.1
2 locations in Boulder
from $61/day
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Reviews
2.8 Poor
Jun 2020
Pros:
NothingCons:
Everything6.0 Okay
Jul 2019
Pros:
The employee I interacted with both times was pleasant to deal with. He upsold me and I'm glad I did -- he suggested I rent the next biggest vehicle to fit all passengers and luggage and I barely fit.Cons:
The car was not cleaned at all when I got into it. There were drink splatters on the interior windows, trash, dirt and crumbs on seats and floors; the outside was dirty as well.2.4 Poor
Jun 2019
Cons:
The staff was rude, and gave us a minivan instead of a sedan. We had to wait outside on the pavement with our luggage while he vacuumed the van, as it hadn't been cleaned yet. Still filthy once we got in, dog hair and gunk everywhere. No apologies about the inconvenience.4.0 Mediocre
Oct 2018
Cons:
Our car door was faulty, and pick up was confusing.10.0 Wonderful
Jun 2018
Pros:
New, clean vehicle!Cons:
N/a10.0 Wonderful
Mar 2018
Pros:
Easy rental, convenient service, relatively inexpensive for dropoff in different city.Budget
5.5
Fair
41 reviewsCleanliness
5.0
Comfort
6.0
Pick-up/Drop-off
5.6
Value for money
5.4
2 locations in Boulder
from $43/day
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Reviews
8.0 Very good
Apr 2021
Pros:
Easy rental and return. Had the vehicle that we wanted/needed. Vehicle was clean and in good condition.Cons:
There were no issues.2.0 Poor
Jun 2020
Pros:
Nothing. Representative was extremely rude on both pick up and drop off. High pressure sales tactics for extra insurance, add ons and lied about the available vehicles. Wanted to charge me extra for " the only available car" being above the tier I paid for.Cons:
Absolutely everything! Rude service.6.8 Okay
Oct 2019
Cons:
Car was not clean. Windows were smeared.5.2 Fair
Aug 2019
Pros:
The car itself was very up to date with technology which was nice and having Sirius on a long roadtrip was great.Cons:
Waited in line for 30 minutes to get my car and it was gross on the inside. Also called about 8 times in one day to try to get ahold of someone to ask a question and no one ever answered the phone.10.0 Wonderful
Apr 2019
Pros:
Staff was very friendly and showed me all the bells and whistles on the vehicle I was renting. Pick-up and drop-off were a breeze.10.0 Wonderful
Oct 2018
Pros:
The car was brand new and full of all the new accessories — leather seats, seat warmers, ambient lighting that changes color. It was such a comfy ride to take cross country and worth every penny. The guy at the pick up was intent on getting us a good road trip car. I will definitely choose budget again!!Cons:
Nothing! Great experience all around.Silvercar
No score available yet
One location in Boulder
Sixt
No score available yet
One location in Boulder
Thrifty
No score available yet
Cheapest deal
One location in Boulder
from $33/day
157 travelers who rented a car in Boulder gave the car agency they used an average rating of 6.8
Car rental locations in or near Boulder
Good to know
Most popular agency | Hertz |
|---|---|
Most popular car type | Intermediate |
Average price | $50/day |
Good deal | $37/day |
When to book a rental car in Boulder
Average daily price per month
Rental car prices as pick-up date approaches
Airports serving Boulder
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